When we’re little, our career aspirations are delightfully optimistic. Whether you wanted to be an astronaut, rockstar or purple unicorn, chances are your choice was tempered by the realities of space, fame and mythology. But giving kids early, real-world guidance allows them to explore job prospects and make smart choices in future education, internships and volunteering. With this in mind, Tumwater School District hosts a middle school job fair and community partnerships are welcomed district-wide. Students are introduced to different options as early as elementary school and continue exploring choices through graduation.
Exploring Career Paths Early Helps Students Find Success
Kim Griffin is an eighth-grade teacher at George Bush Middle School and has worked in the district for more than 35 years. She explains that in Tumwater, individual teachers begin career planning with students in their last year of elementary (fifth grade) and on into middle school. She shares that starting in seventh grade, Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses provide students with a consistent and organized learning experience.
Most of us work multiple jobs across multiple fields throughout our lives. But Griffin says that Tumwater School District works hard helping students be more intentional and organized to scaffold career planning.
This is especially true as they reach middle school. “Learning begins to align with what we are doing in classrooms with their High School and Beyond Plan,” Griffin shares. “We believe robust career planning provides direction and focus, helps identify strengths and interests, prepares students for challenges, promotes long-term success and facilitates life-long learning.”
Community Partnerships Provide Mentorship and Real-World Information for Students
Learning about jobs from TV or the internet is one thing. Having the chance to meet real people who love their career and experiencing hands-on knowledge with local companies is a true game changer. Griffin explains that their district has a wide variety of community partnerships at all grade levels, and specific work-based learning programs through CTE for grades seven to 12.
“CTE has two teachers on special assignment that coordinate and support work-based learning for grades seven through 12,” Griffin explains. “We have hundreds of partners in all career pathways in our partner database. Work-based learning involves students engaging in practical activities inside and outside the classroom, where they can apply theoretical knowledge, develop practical skills and gain professional experience. This type of learning bridges the gap between academic instruction and the actual demands of the job market.”
Soon, the district will introduce and enhance available CTE summer programming. You can read more about new additions through Tumwater’s CTE portal. If you would like to mentor students through job shadowing or being interviewed, adult professionals are encouraged to email Griffin at Kim.Griffin@tumwater.k12.wa.us
Career Fairs Bring Jobs to Life for Tumwater School District Middle Schoolers
On February 7, 2025, students attended the district’s second Career Fair held at Bush Middle School. Griffin says they welcomed nearly 30 adult mentors and over 100 parents and community members. This was the culmination of an eight-week career unit in the science/CTE department. Eighth grade students started by participating in the YouScience interest and aptitude test. Griffin says that, “This is a wonderful tool for students to see what jobs would fit their interests and what jobs they are naturally inclined to from the aptitude data.”
Students then work on a career explorer unit developed by Griffin. Here they choose several professions and research job outlook, training and income expectation. They then narrow it down to one career and look up training institutions, colleges, universities, trade schools and the military to discover all the available options, costs and how much time it will take.
But that’s just phase one. Then students mix in actual budgets and costs. Working with their parent or guardian’s real-world experience, students add up the price of a mortgage, car payments, gas prices, groceries and other bills. This is then compared to the career’s projected income, often with eye-opening results.
Phase two is a choice. Students can job shadow, interview or research their chosen profession. “One example from this year that I was particularly proud of was a student who wants to be a vet,” says Griffin. “One of my very close friends and her husband are vets and volunteered to participate in an interview. The eighth grader developed questions and I emailed them to my friend and received very thoughtful responses. My friend was able to come to the fair as a mentor and met the student and her family. From there, a relationship has started and the vet invited this particular 8th grade student to shadow her at the clinic. What a valuable experience that will be.”
When the projects are complete, says Griffin, students write reflections, make goals for high school, develop a project board and create a one-minute presentation to be shared with attending sixth and seventh graders at the job fair.
“I am amazed at how important this assignment is to my students,” says Griffin. “The conversations speak volumes about their growth and understanding of their future. My eighth graders really enjoyed speaking with adults about their projects and appreciated their thoughtful questions. Going to high school with a plan will help them be successful.”
And that’s even better than being a unicorn.
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